hopkins



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

G. M. 8: I. N. HOPKINS.

GAS ENGINE.

Patented Sept. 22,1885.

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UNITED STATES PATENT Orricia...

GEORGE M. HOPKINS AND I. NEWTON HOPKINS, OF BROOKLYN, N Y.

GAS ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 326,561. dated September 22, 1-885.

Application filed December 22. 18 84.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, GEORGE M. HOPKiNs and I. NEWTON HOPKINS, both of Brooklyn,

in the county of Kings and. State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Gas-Engines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the annexed drawings, forming a part thereof.

This invention relates to that class of gasengines the members of which are provided with a prolongation of the piston, which is adapted, by means of its special construction, to serve as a valve; and it consists, mainly, in the combination, with a prolonged piston of special construction, of a cylinder of special construction, and certain valves, as will be fully described hereinafter.

It further consists in the combination, with the prolongation of the piston, of acertain cylindrical portion projecting into the prolonged piston, as will be fully described hereinaiter.

In the drawings, Figure l is a front sectional elevation of our improved engine; Fig. 2, a horizontal section taken on line X X in Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section taken on the line Y Y in Fig. 2.

G represents a base portion of the engine, by means of which the cylinder A and the other parts of the superstructure are properly supported.

b, Figs. 1 and 2, represents an air-port formed in one side of the cylinder A at the proper point, and d a gas-port formed in the cylinder near the airport, as shown.

7' represents a point in the cylinder where a comparatively large exhaust opening is formed; as shown.

1' represents a point in the cylinder where a comparatively small ignition opening is formed, as shown. 7 I

The cylinder, it will be understood from the foregoing, is provided with four openings, the air and gas ports b d, the exhaust-opening at point r, and the ignition-opening at point z.

B represents the piston; O, the crank; D, the connecting-rod, and E the main shaft journaled in thesupport F, attached to or cast integrally with the cylinder A, these parts, with the exception of the piston B, being of the usual well-known or any other proper construction. 1

(No model.)

H represents a prolonged portion of the piston B, consisting of a hollow cylinder open below but closed above by means of the piston-plate, forming anintegral part of the same, as shown. g

frepresents an aperture upon one side of the prolongation H, and h a smaller aperture npon the other side of the same, both of these apertures being located in the upper part of the prolongation, as shown.

a, Fig. 3, represents a comparatively large opening near the lower end of the prolonga tion, as shown.

0, Figs. 1 and 2, represents an ordinary check-valve opening inward in the manner well understood, which valve controls the admission of air through the port b, before referred to, of the cylinder A.

6 represents an ordinary check valve, controlling the admission of gas into the gas-port d of the cylinder in a similar manner.

J, Fig. 1, represents the gas-supply pipe, and L, Figs. 1 and 3, a bag through which the gas passes on its way through pipe 1), Figs. 1 and 2, and valve 6 to the port cl, Figs. 1 and 2.

q represents a small supply-pipe extending from the gas-supply pipe at a point beyond the valve, which pipe is adapted to furnish apermanent gas-flame at apoint opposite ignitionopeningi in the side of the cylinder A, as shown.

a, Figs. 1 and 3, represents a central cylindrical projection extending from the base-plate G up into the hollow cylindrical prolongation H of the piston B, as shown. This cylindrical projection has no opening whatever into the interior of the cylinder, and for all practical purposes might be made solid throughout.

j, Fig. 3,is an ordinary tappet-valve, having a rod, 10, extending upward through a guide, l, formed on the face of the engine, and carrying an arm, m, which extends under the shaft E and is acted upon by a cam, 11., Fig. 1, on the same shaft.

0 represents a spring, resting upon the guide Z, which is adapted to press the arm m upward, as shown.

The aperture f, for the admission of air into the cylinder, may correspond in its vertical width with the width of the air-port b, or it may be narrower than the said port. The

'IOO

vertical height of the port I) and the aperture f in the valve H together equal about one-half of the length of the stroke of the piston, and when the piston B is at the lowest part of the stroke the port I) is just closed by the piston.

When the piston begins to rise, the port b begins to open, and communication is thereby established below the external air and the interior of the cylinder through the'valve 0, port b, and aperture f, the opening for the admission of air growing constantly larger during one-fourth of the upstroke of the piston, and then growing smaller through the next one fourth of the upstroke of the piston.

During this quarter ofstroke, and before the piston has made half of its upward stroke, the gas-port d is uncovered and gas admitted from the main supply through the valve e, portd, and aperture f. When the piston has arrived at or near the end of the first half of its upward stroke, the prolongation H, by the passignition-opening in the cylinder A, and the gas-flame being consequently drawn in by the exhaust-action of the piston explosion occurs.

By means of this explosion the piston is driven upward. The time required for the thorough ignition of the gas in the cylinder is sufficient to permit theclosing of aperture i before any appreciable blast through the aperture occurs.

The power thus imparted to and stored in the fiy-wheel I carries the fiy-wheel forward and moves the piston B during its return-stroke. 40 By the downward movement of the piston the products of combustion are expelled through the exhaust-valve r, which, owing to the action of the cam n, is opened during this stroke of the piston. At the proper timein the move- 4 5 ment of the shaft the tappet-valve is actuated to close the exhaust-opening by the reaction of the spring 0.

By means of the cylindrical projection athe size of the combustion-chamber in the cylin- 5o der is diminished, and proper space is afforded for the movement of the prolongation H.

By means of this special construction and arrangement of parts great simplicity is obtained without the efficiency of the action be- 5 5 ing impaired.

Having thus fully described our in vention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

In combination with the piston B, having v6o the hollow cylindrical prolongation H, with exhaust-opening a, the tappet-valve k, and mechanism, substantially as described, actuated by the main shaft for controlling the valve.

- GEORGE M. HOPKINS;

I. NEWTON HOPKINS. ,Witnesses:

I-IUGo KOELKER, H. O. HAGEN. 

